O'Farrell says that Villaraigosa's appointment of former body man Choi to Public Works "set the stage for him to run. ... It gave him entry."
The mayor's office won't comment.
But the fiery Choi retorts, "Mitch O'Farrell has been running for this office for the past 10 years. Everybody knows it.
"If the mayor was setting me up for a run," Choi adds, "why did he endorse one of my opponents?" (Villaraigosa endorsed his recently departed No. 2 policy adviser, Szabo, in the March 5 primary.)
Activist Peters believes Durazo wants Choi to push through a controversial 880-unit village proposed on idyllic grounds next to Barlow Respiratory Hotel near Dodger Stadium and Elysian Park. Durazo claims, on RebuildBarlow.org, that the high-density village will create 4,800 "good union jobs." Choi released a statement opposing the Barlow development but, Peters says, "He can change his mind once he gets in office."
Attorney Grace Yoo, a Choi supporter and executive director of the Korean American Coalition's L.A. chapter, says Choi's connections with the County Fed will give him a "pivotal role within the city." Yoo insists that Choi can get labor unions to agree to budget cuts, saying, "Sometimes it's easier to hear it from a friend." She adds, "He's no one's rubber stamp."
Choi was born in South Korea and largely raised in Fullerton. He says his viewpoint has "always been about equity. I've seen such disparity between people doing quite well and people struggling to put food on the table." He tells L.A. Weekly he moved to Echo Park last year with "an idea" that he might run after "a mix" of friends and advisers suggested he should.
Choi says he can't recall who advised him to run. He insists, "I'm going to be beholden to the people in the 13th District."
He also says Durazo is merely one person at County Fed, and she's held accountable by union members. "She doesn't manufacture campaigns."
Durazo is hardly just one person at County Fed. She was national co-chair for both of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns and is routinely described as among "the most powerful" figures in L.A. Downtown News once ranked her as more powerful than controller and mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel, councilman and mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti, billionaire developer Rick Caruso or California Speaker John Pérez.
Peters, who is president of the Citizens Committee to Save Elysian Park, says Choi "is like fairy dust — he just sort of arrived. ... I've never heard of the guy before, even when he was on the Board of Public Works."
Contact the writer at pmcdonald@laweekly.com.
choi gets another endorsement from another union guy
one has to be pretty insecure to have to push and pull for endorsements from unions as opposed to getting the actual votes from the people that live in district 13
when I asked choi about the barlow project, he said he was surprised so many people even heard of barlow, and wondered why they were concerned.
choi..go away...you are clueless!
Look what I found! bahahahahaha There is a God!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Choi-4-City-Council/550599761628713?fref=ts
John Choi worked for Martin Ludlow at the time Ludlow was being investigated for union fraud. Ludlow was eventually convicted.
There isn't too much information on this..does anyone know?
@nukua Are you complaining? Well, then I'm sorry to tell you this, but when your campaign comes more from a big plan, designed by powerful forces outside the 13th District, than a genuine desire to serve the people, you're gonna get slammed. But this article doesn't even scratch the surface of all the grime and slime on Dirty John Choi. Just stand back, because if this bothers you I wouldn't recommend finding out where Dirty Johns campaign money comes from, cause it's messy and you ain't gonna like it, unless you have no integrity or conscience like him. But maybe you don't give a shit either. If YOU had any integrity, you just might be interested in the TRUTH! I don't think any of Dirty John's supporters, campaign staff or little minion-volunteers are even remotely interested in knowing the truth about Dirty John. Life is so much easier that way, isn't it?
@ xicana59, or should I say Maria Elena Durazo? Yes, THIS is how you guys will attack Mitch O'Farrell, with dirty campaigning and lies. You guys have to lie to get votes, because you guys will do anything to win this election, or should I say steal or buy it? Mitch comes from a very humble background. and he comes from a union family, and he cares passionately about ALL people in the 13th District. I know you're some union hack or someone from the Choi campaign or the special-interests pretending to be a "Xicana 'activist'". But just like Choi, you are a fraud, playing dirty and spreading lies about Mitch O'Farrell. Be careful how you play, because there's plenty of REAL dirt on John Choi. Mitch's supporters don't have to rely on dirty politics or lying like the supporters of John Choi will surely try to do. We only have to rely on the truth and Mitch's long history of service, volunteerism, activism and experience in the 13th District. John Choi has NONE of that!
John Choi's father was a dentist, and John Choi went to UCLA and got a law degree, because he came from a middle class family. That is not an issue, but John Choi comes from a much more privileged background than Mitch ever had when growing up. Mitch relates very well to Latinos and other ethnic groups in the District, because he knows the people of the District well and he RESPECTS them, unlike Choi. Mitch's humble background, his working class family roots, and his Native American and Irish ethnicity helped shape his view of respect and appreciation for ALL people. What kind of view did John Choi formulate after being raised in middle class Orange County? Since John Choi is nothing but a carpetbagger and a shill for the special interests, unions and developers it seems that HE is the one that has betrayed the "the poor/working poor" of the 13th District!
As Mitch O Farrell states, he worked at Jamba Juice, was a gymnast then in Glassell Park helped with our Glassell Park Neighborhoood Council, worked with Northeast Dems, then was HIRED by Eric Garcetti. He was directed and paid by GARCETTi to do the work he did in the community. He can't take credit for his projects. Mitch does not care about the poor/working poor. As a matter of fact he worked on his own, not at Garcettis' direction, with like minded people to get rid of poor/and working poor in our neighborhhoods. That was his strategy to "Lets take back our Community". Most of his votes were from the upper middle class areas of Echo Park and Silverlake. We for one feel he lacks integrity, can't be trusted, doesn't know how to put together a coalition that addresses the needs of ethnic communities, and lastly has no loyalties. Just look at the people around him. The LA Weekly reports Choi parachuted into CD13 well guess who also parachuted in to the 13th district after living in the hills of Glassell Park, Mitch. His home is now in the 1st district. Two wrongs don't make a right. Choi has experience and is a visionary with a law degree. What does Mitch really have? Think about it.
@xicana59 Yes, THIS is how you guys will attack Mitch, with dirty campaigning and lies. You guys have to lie to get votes, because you guys will do anything to win this election, or should I say steal or buy it? Mitch comes from a very humble background. and he comes from a union family, and he cares passionately about ALL people in the 13th District. I know you're some union hack or someone from the Choi campaign or the special-interests pretending to be a "Xicana 'activist'". But just like Choi, you are a fraud, playing dirty and spreading lies about Mitch O'Farrell. Be careful how you play, because there's plenty of REAL dirt on John Choi. Mitch's supporters don't have to rely on dirty politics or lying like the supporters of John Choi will surely try to do. We only have to rely on the truth and Mitch's long history of service, volunteerism, activism and experience in the 13th District. John Choi has NONE of that!
John Choi's father was a dentist, and John Choi went to UCLA and got a law degree, because he came from a middle class family. That is not an issue, but John Choi comes from a much more privileged background than Mitch ever had when growing up. Mitch relates very well to Latinos and other ethnic groups in the District, because he knows the people of the District well and he RESPECTS them, unlike Choi. Mitch's humble background, his working class family roots, and his Native American and Irish ethnicity helped shape his view of respect and appreciation for ALL people. What kind of view did John Choi formulate after being raised in middle class Orange County? Since John Choi is nothing but a carpetbagger and a shill for the special interests, unions and developers it seems that HE is the one that has betrayed the "the poor/working poor" of the 13th District!
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you said:
"Choi has experience and is a visionary with a law degree."
Wonderful!!
My nephew also has a wonderful imagination, with a law degree.
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His home is now in the 1st district.
WHAT???
How much sillier can you be?
if this were the truth....he would have been disqualified a long time ago!
The news now is: Forever 21 sweat shop conditions...choi campaign contributors..that is surely supporting the working class poor!
We are not rich at all, but we work hard like everyone else. Ane we live in a tough area of Hollywood. I have never known Mitchto pay attention to my income when we ask him for help..good riddance...what a rediculous statement!
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Besides all the comments made about Choi with Union Support
I find it hard to believe that someone at the young age of 32 has the maturity to handle the decisions for the mass population of the city of los angeles
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the question that the title of this story is:
Who is Mystery Man John Choi?
this video provides the answer:
John Choi says he's proud to make developers rich
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Just what we need, another Union guy to help the citizens of Los Angeles give away more of their money. If you feel you have donated enough to their cause, don't vote for him, or Wendy Gruel!
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THINKING people in the Hollywood area definitely do NOT want this guy representing us. How lame are you if you vote someone just because he sends a million wasteful mailers with exaggerated accomplishments? If he's foreign and unknown to the people of Echo Park, Atwater, Silver Lake, Elysian Valley and Glassell Park, he's a complete alien to us in Hollywood. And no, his immigrant success story doesn't impress me, since he seems to have completely sold out to the unions, special interests, and developers that are trying to sink their teeth into Elysian Park. This guy is WORSE than a carpetbagger. At least a carpetbagger is capable of having integrity. Where is this guys honor? Oh wait, he traded it in when Maria Elena Durazo made him her chosen one. He's like one of those creepy mutant monster warriors in Lord of the Rings. They created him, and he knows his mission. John Choi is a sleaze all the way. I have a feeling that this story is just the tip of the ice-berg with this guys political dirt. Journalists, please just keep digging. I want to know more!
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I’m so pleased that Mitch O’Farrell appears to have won over John Choi! O’Farrell has been against the Barlow Hospital scheme from the start. John Choi, finally realizing this is the decisive issue facing our district, publicly came out against it at the last minute, while suspiciously offering no other opinion for months. John Choi is in bed with big developers, has only lived in our district for about a year and received the majority of his funding from, you guessed it, outside of District 13
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It is amazing how much money Choi spent (almost all from outside district sources) but O'Farrell still beat him in the first round. Prediction: almost all of the other deserving community-based candidates will bring their followers over to O'Farrell. Community leaders and business folks are both drawn to O'Farrell because he is both polite (almost to a fault) while being tenacious in solving problems.
I've also seen O'Farrell's thick skin- he's not afraid of criticism which leads me to believe he will put together a talented and creative staff to follow his lead.
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John Perez and Kevin De Leon are two folks who did nothing and came out of no where to win seats. You could also say the same about Garcetti. He had dad's name which gave him name ID but was never active in Echo Park or CD 13 until he decided he'd run. I really like Mitch for this seat because he's given himself to this District for so long. Mr. Choi ought to return to Fullerton and shake things up over there.
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All of these labor backed candidates, whether it be Greuel, Choi or the spineless Mike Feuer will guarantee that we all end up paying higher rates and higher taxes. If that's what you want, less money in your pocket, vote for these union stooges because that's just what's going to happen.
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I was just going to say that Jackie! and we can repeat it for sure!
there goes the pension benefits for city workers...and the city budget!!
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I’m so pleased that Mitch O’Farrell appears to have won over John Choi! O’Farrell has been against the Barlow Hospital scheme from the start. John Choi, finally realizing this is the decisive issue facing our district, publicly came out against it at the last minute, while suspiciously offering no other opinion for months. John Choi is in bed with big developers, has only lived in our district for about a year and received the majority of his funding from, you guessed it, outside of District 13
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Let's assume Mitch has been running to be CM for CD 13 for 10 years, or maybe since he was 5 years old. What kind of criticism is that? Assuming it is true, then that is a big plus for Mitch -- he took the time to attend all those long, long meetings. He's put in all those years of being nice to people.
Should I vote for a man who has put in all the time, learned all the issues, met with thousands of people or some Johnnie-Come-Lately whose criticism of Mitch is that Mitch spend a decade becoming qualified?
I do, however, want Mitch to answer some serious questions about the downsizing of FS 82, about the falsified data in the LAFD deployment report which Garcetti used to cut $200 Million from the LAFD, about the bogus Hollywood Community Plan. I know too much to be put off with BS answers. I know my questions put Mitch is a tough spot since Garcetti will most likely become mayor, but there is a question of integrity. When will Mitch stand up to Garcetti? Mitch had to have known about the May 2005 USA Today article which showed that Angelenos were needlessly dying due to the slow emergency response times and he had another 7 years to watch the response times become slower and slower.
Since it is a choice between Mitch and Choi, I side with Mitch. Mitch has paid his dues; Choi is a carpet bagger. After Mitch is elected, then I'll nag him to fix some of the problems Garcetti caused.
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the downsizing of the FS82 had to do with a group called the eastwood coalition (a now defunct group) that argued about everything under the sun!
They didn't want the original proposed fire house on hollywood blvd near western,
Eastwood fought tooth and nail for it not to happen...then...when that fight was over..the group went "oops"
A candidate, steve box proposed a park on the fire house site, claiming there were armenian people that wanted a park there, when in fact, there were no funds from any armenian sponsors to pay for it. It was a ploy.
That is no ones fault but the eastwood people.
So, given your reputation for being a activist lawyer, you can reason all you want about everything I said; as being wrong, boondoogle, corrupt, nonsense, poor english, poor grammar, or whatever your reason, facts are facts.
@Rebecca You got everything wrong.
In 2006, the City Council voted to place a full 2 acre Fire Station 82 on Hollywood Boulevard west of Bronson with rear exits onto Carlos for faster access to the Hills, especially The Dell and Beachwood Canyon. Eastwood supported this location. After the city's decision, Garcetti had the council go into closed session and decided that they would move FS 82 from the 2 acre lot to a 1/2 acre lot at the intersection of Hollywood, Van Ness and the 101 Freeway. Garcetti proclaimed this fact in his April 26, 2006. Those are the facts on how FS 82 was downsized 75%. Eastwood played no role except to object to the downsizing. [In 2012 firemen from FS 82 have publicly stated at HUNC meetings that the location by the 101 Freeway is delaying responses due to the traffic, which is exactly what Eastwood and others had predicted when Garcetti moved FS 82 and shrunk it to 1/2 an acre.
Around 2004-2005, Developer Larry Bond said he was going to build a Whole Foods store at the lot "on Hollywood near Western," which wold be the N/W corner of Garfield and Hollywood. Eastwood as well as HUNC and Garfield Watch opposed that construction as it violated the zoning laws. When the Whole Foods found out what was being proposed in its name, Whole Foods publicly withdrew its support from the "project." Three things which made Bond's project unacceptable to While Foods was that (1) all customer parking was going to be on the roof, (2) 1/2 the storage space was to be on a second floor so they would have to use elevators to stock shelves, (3) there was only one delivery bay on the side street, Garfield.
BTW, the Garfield lot was only 1 acre and hence it was 50% the size mandated by Prop F and LaBonge proposed condemning 66 homes in order to create a full 2 acres. Rather than condemn 66 homes, the City chose the 2 acre lot west of the 101 until Garcetti nixed the deal and had FS 82 downsized by 75% and moved to its present location.
BTW, in 2011 when some people proposed that the NW corner of Garfield be used as a park, FS 82 was already under construction. Thus, the park proposal played no role in the relocation of FS 82.
Garcetti was 100% responsible for FS 82's not being a full 2 acre Regional fire station with plenty of triage space, community parking, and ample room to expand. According to Beachwood Voice, Garcetti wanted the 2 acre site for a CRA mixed-use development, but the Crash of 2008 occurred first.
Those are facts which can be verified as opposed to erroneous opinions by someone who knows so little that she didn't even know the locations of the various proposals for FS 82.
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since you like having the last word in almost every debate and conversation. that is okay.
I am allowed to voice my experience, opinions and ideas.
Good Bless!
@jackie If you are speaking about La Bonge's plan to eminent domain 66 homes on Garfield, Eastwood did oppose that eminent domain. Did you support demolishing 66 homes when there was a far superior site just to the West of the 101 Freeway?
Remember that FS 82 territory ends at Western Avenue FS 35 begins at Western. The Garfield location was one short block for the eastern most edge of FS 82 territory and would have made response times to Beachwood and The Dell far longer. One of the main reasons to up-grade fire old facilities was to shorten the response times to the Hills, and thus, the Garfield location was not legal for second reason.
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and the eastwood coalition called for the people to protest the construction of the original proposal of fire station 82
@jackie In writing, your retort sounds rather childish.
You previously wrote that "facts are facts," and I provided the facts to rectify your incorrect opinions. I do note that you were unable to show that a single fact which I presented was not accurate.
Look up Prof F and see whether it mandated a full 2 contiguous acres for the regional fire stations, and thus, the N/W corner of Garfield and Hollywood Blvd, which was 1 acre, could not house FS 82 unless 66 homes were demolished. I recall the homes were a mixture of bungalows, apartments and single family homes. The need to eminent domain those 66 homes is the reason FS 82 was not constructed at Garfield and Hollywood Blvd.
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if you know so much, you should know, so I will leave the research up to you. anything anyone says in incorrect according to you. so I am not going to waste my time or yours.
do your own research, and change your name to mr. know it all
@jackie Could please be more vague? Perhaps indicating what year this march occurred would help.
Also please explain how a march changed the location of FS 82 from west of the 101 Freeway to east of the 101 Freeway and downsized it by 50%.
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As an Asian American, I'm very concerned that the LA City Council has lacked an Asian/Pacific Islander representative since Mike Woo was termed out. Choi would become the first Korean American and first Asian American on City Council in 20 years.
HOWEVER, I'm also a community activist who has lived in the 13th District for 40 more years than Choi has. I can count the number of trees I've planted, gardens I've help started and community organizations I've formed volunteering my time in the community, benefiting people of all backgrounds in this diverse district. If only Choi has had an actual track record in the community (aside from the tangential one he's claiming while making $127,000 a year as a Public Works commissioner), I'd probably vote for him.
The 13th District is my home. It's a wonderful, central place within the City. I can't entrust someone who knows very little about it, who's done basically nothing for it and has very little to offer it. His plans and visions are generic and uninspiring. Having him in City Council means every single community activist in this district will have to start from scratch and wait for this guy to catch up before we can get anything done. And that's just sad.
Look, I support labor unions 100% when they fight for deserving wages, benefits and working conditions. But not when they become bullies in local politics.
This Asian American is voting for Mitch O'Farrell on May 21.
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So John Choi claims that "everybody knows" Mitch O'Farrell has been running for the CD 13 seat for the past 10 years? What kind of idiotic generalized statement is that? John Choi once again shows that he knows absolutely nothing about the District and it's people. Mitch only decided to run at all maybe over a year ago at the urging of small business owners and residents in the 13th District. I'm sure Mitch O'Farrell doesn't have any trouble remembering that, even if John Choi can't recall who advised him to run. When you're a political puppet, you don't have to have any real answers, now do you? You're just shielded by the big money that owns you.
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John Choi isn't the front runner in the Council District 13 race, that's for sure! Mitch O'Farrell is, because he's from here and he has a LONG history of service to our communities. Money can only get you so far, and in this race Choi and the LA County Fed of Labor will lose on May 21. Choi Durazo are merely trying to storm the gates of the 13th, like invaders, and conquer. We know what their agenda is; it's to have a councilman-shill that will make decisions at City Hall based on what the LA County Federation of Labor demands of him. They own him, flat out. He's their little tool that will protect their interests. That's all he has EVER been from the very beginning. Would we even be having this discussion if union and special interest money, and campaign donations that came from outside the 13th District, wasn't financing virtually his entire campaign. It's LA politics as usual and John Choi is the worst kind of example of a politician, selling out the voters and looking out for the special-interests. On May 21st the people of the 13th District will send a strong message to outsiders & carpetbaggers: Keep your hands off of our communities!
VOTE 4 MITCH O'FARRELL!!!
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I DO NOT LIKE CHOI
anyone that bangs on my door three times a day, and calls me every single night, mails me three campaign fliers a day...
If you cannot recall who suggested that you run for office
YOU ARE OUT OF YOUR MIND!
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